Why Do Earthquakes Happen?

Earthquakes are usually caused when rock underground suddenly breaks along
a fault. This sudden release of energy causes the seismic waves that make the
ground shake. When two blocks of rock or two plates are rubbing against each
other, they stick a little. They don't just slide smoothly; the rocks catch on each
other. The rocks are still pushing against each other, but not moving. After a
while, the rocks break because of all the pressure that's built up. When the rocks
break, the earthquake occurs. During the earthquake and afterward, the plates or
blocks of rock start moving, and they continue to move until they get stuck
again. The spot underground where the rock breaks is called the focus of the
earthquake. The place right above the focus (on top of the ground) is called
the epicenter of the earthquake.

Try this little experiment:

1. Break a block of foam
rubber in half.
2. Put the pieces on a smooth
table.
3. Put the rough edges of the
foam rubber pieces together.
4. While pushing the two
pieces together lightly, push
one piece away from you
along the table top while
pulling the other piece
toward you. See how they
stick?
5. Keep pushing and pulling
smoothly.
Soon a little bit of foam
rubber along the crack (the
fault) will break and the two
pieces will suddenly slip past
each other. That sudden
breaking of the foam rubber
is the earthquake. That's just
what happens along a strikeslip fault.

Earthquake-like seismic waves can also be caused by explosions

underground. These explosions may be set off to break rock while

making tunnels for roads, railroads, subways, or mines. These

explosions, however, don't cause very strong seismic waves. You may
not even feel them. Sometimes seismic waves occur when the roof or
walls of a mine collapse. These can sometimes be felt by people near the
mine. The largest underground explosions, from tests of nuclear
warheads (bombs), can create seismic waves very much like large
earthquakes. This fact has been exploited as a means to enforce the
global nuclear test ban, because no nuclear warhead can be detonated on
earth without producing such seismic waves.